yes indeed the interior of the baseline evo is a bit crappy, even the MR didn't get the JDM (GSR) seats that many people would have liked. But if i were to put up an STi vs. the Evo with the leather package.. i'd have to take the evo. The leather interior (seats door pannels etc) does wonders for the car (or so i feel). maybe it's because i like leather. Although it still has the ugly crappy gauge cluster and the somewhat questionable dash, what car is perfect? and i guess they had to go cheap somewhere in order to include a sunroof!
IMO the 2005 STi's dash isn't the next best decision subie has ever made.. but i guess the Defi instrument cluster makes up for it..
please note i'm not looking at any performance specs, just the driver comfortability